All thanks to our competitors? The Serpent executive was a smart man, and his words held a deeper meaning to it. Alice had to go through that sentence a couple of times before she finally got what it meant. âYeah. Serpent is definitely the dominant brand in the market for mid to low-end phones; thereâs no denying that. Newcomers like us will never be a match for you guys.â In the end, Alice pretended that she didnât get what the executive had meant by his previous sentence.
The executive flashed her a complacent grin. He had always thought of their brand as the leading brand, so he was naturally pleased now that he had managed to defend his own brandâs title. However, he clearly forgot how Serpent had once attempted to enter the market for high-end phones and how it had failed terribly. Alice recognized the nasty, conceited look on his face, and she didnât wish to continue the conversation, so they talked for a while more before Alice gave a random excuse to leave.
Just as Alice had picked her bag up and was about to walk out, she heard Lucyâs voice from behind her.
âMiss Alice! If you could turn back time and make a new decision, I wonder if youâd stick to the judgements you made in the past.â
Alice froze for a while before she answered, âThere are surely a lot of things that I would like to change if I could turn back time. But I didnât make a mistake in my choice for the Cethosian agent, and I therefore donât see the need to change anything about that.â Despite the festive celebratory setting they were in, Aliceâs voice was just as cold and sharp as ever. There was also a hint of determination in it. The Dragon Eyeâs phones havenât even been released, and we havenât even started our pre-orders, so no one can tell who the winner is just yet!
A glint of dissatisfaction flashed across Lucyâs gaze as she watched Alice walk away. The truth is right in the womanâs face; sheâs just stubbornly insisting on her own views. The Serpentâs pre-order for its new phones were a huge success, and the pre-orders in Cethos itself had surpassed the numbers for all of the other regions by a huge margin. This wasnât just due to the fact that Serpent was a brand with over 10 years of a reputation; it was also because Lucy had worked hard for it. Dragon Eye, on the other hand, might not even manage to launch their pre-orders. Lucy was simply waiting for the day when Alice would finally return and beg her to be the agent of her phone!
â¦
A bout of spring rain soaked the entire Bayside City, and a cold moon appeared soon after that. It fitted well with the damp air in the city. Alice got out of the car at the back door of the Edwards Residence before walking toward her own living quarters. There was a short walk she had to take to get to her own room, and she passed through a little garden on the way in. Sophia was the one who had filled it with various plants and flowersâthe stems of some plants now curled up around the supporting pillars. Under the guidance of a professional florist, they shaped the growth of the plants so that it formed an archway.
There were colourful lights that lit the garden up, which made it seem especially dreamy.
Recently, Daniel had been traveling between Reverie Mountain and Riverdale, but he mostly resided in the Edwards Residence. Right then, he was walking in front of Alice; he was going against the direction of the strong wind as the breeze struck his robe, filling the air with the scent of tea. He gradually took a few steps backward before he spoke to Alice. âWhat would be the thing that you would want to change the most if you could turn back time?â he asked.
Alice glanced at him, the blue in her eyes more vibrant than ever under the spotlight. âIf I could turn back time, the thing that I would like to change the most⦠I definitely wouldnât have gone to River Seine six years ago on that day.â She didnât hesitate much with her answer.
The manâs footsteps came to a sudden halt as he felt the gentle smile on his lips slowly withering like a dead flower. If she hadnât visited the Seine River six years ago on that day, she wouldâve never met Daniel. Does that mean her greatest regret is having met me? He froze on his spot, with the light shining on his back as his face was turned away from Alice. Alice simply ignored the disappointment and pain that he felt, and she brushed past him before walking to her own room and shutting the door. Daniel stood outside for a long while before he finally left quietly, disappearing into the dark ends of the colorfully lit garden.
After returning to her room, Alice kept her lights off and leaned her back against the door. She stared at the darkness in front of her, the blue in her eyes drowned by the darkness of the room. Of course Iâd regret that day⦠If I hadnât met Daniel that year, I wouldnât have had to spend the past 6 years missing and longing for him endlessly. Alice sincerely hoped that she had met a typical, boring soul that she would easily forget once she left that year. She wished that she had met someone she wouldnât feel attached to or nostalgic for, but instead, she came to know Daniel, who was an interesting soul trapped in a handsome body. She couldnât let go of him even until today, and although she always thought that all Cethosians had the same facial features, she would be able to recognize him anywhere in a crowd.
Sadly, she knew that things would never work out between the two of them. Daniel couldnât possibly alter his surname to enter her family, since he was the one in control of the entire Levine Family. She, on the other hand, simply couldnât give up on all her hardwork and effort just for the sake of Daniel.
When the lights finally came on, Casper was dressed in a blue, fluffy pajamas set as he stood in front of Alice. He looked up at her with his large, bright eyes. âWhereâs Mr. Psychic, Mommy?â Alice finally felt some warmth and joy taking over her heavy and bitter heart once she saw her own son. She replied to him while taking her shoes off, âItâs late, so Mr. Psychic has gone to get some rest.â
After Alice changed her shoes, she took a shower and went through her night-time skincare routine before she went to bed at her usual time. Casper wrapped his arms around his little pillow before he tottered over to climb in bed with Alice. She hugged him tightly and lowered her gaze to glance at her son as he slept sweetly. She, however, couldnât seem to fall asleep as all she thought of was how hurt Daniel had seemed earlier. Perhaps he wonât come looking for me anymore after this. That would be great, since Iâll have to return to Northern Europe soon. Itâs better if we just never meet again for the rest of our lives.
âMommy.â Casper, whom she assumed was fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes and called for her softly.
She edged over to plant a soft kiss on his face. âWhat is it, Casper?â Her emotions were more complicated than ever as she looked at her son, whose features shared a few similarities with Danielâs.
Casper hesitated a little before he finally spoke. âIs Mr. Psychic my Daddy?â
Alice was stunned to hear this. âWho told you that?â she asked with a light laugh.
âGianna told me,â Casper replied honestly.
Gianna⦠Alice had to think for a while before she recalled that that was Carmenâs artist name. When Carmen first went overseas to participate in filming, Michael came up with an artist name for her. That way, she would be known as Carmen in Cethos, and Gianna in other overseas countries.
Eventually, Alice decided not to deny her son the truth. After all, there were a number of independent women in the Michel Group who were single mothers, raising children who were abandoned by their fathers, so it was something that she would have to deal with eventually. âIf you like him, then heâs your dad. If you donât, then he isnât,â she finally uttered.
Casper beamed happily upon hearing this. âWell, then can I come over to visit and play with Daddy more often now?â He switched the way he referred to Daniel so quickly, almost as if he had been practicing it all along! Alice stroked her sonâs gold hair gently. âYou can come over anytime you want to,â she said. He was elated to hear this, and he immediately forced himself to sleep so that he could play with Daddy once he was awake! Alice, however, couldnât fall asleep for a long time.
The next morning, when Alice woke up, she saw that Casper had already gone out to play. She checked the clock to see that it was a Saturday. She then lay herself back down on the bed as she reminded herself that she would have to leave for work at the office soon. The quality of her phones had been frequently questioned by others recently, and she had to do something about it as the developer of the phone.
After she napped for a while longer, she heard the sound of Sophiaâs laughter coming from the garden below. Alice pulled her curtains open to see Sophia and Michael taking pictures in the garden. She had always felt a hint of envy and respect when she saw Sophia and Michael together. How can they love one another so openly and expressively? They truly gave up on everything just to love one another!